‘急忙’ is an adverb meaning 'hastily' or 'in a hurry'. It combines two characters: 急 (jí), meaning 'urgent' or 'anxious', and 忙 (máng), meaning 'busy' or 'occupied'. Together, they intensify the sense of urgency and rushed action—not just being busy, but acting quickly due to pressure, time constraints, or sudden need. It often describes physical movement (e.g., running, leaving, grabbing something) or immediate verbal responses (e.g., replying, shouting).

This word appears frequently in spoken and written Chinese when narrating events with time sensitivity—like catching a train, responding to bad news, or reacting to danger. It carries a neutral-to-slightly-stressed connotation; it’s not inherently negative, but implies lack of leisure or preparation. Unlike standalone adverbs like 马上 (‘immediately’) or 赶快 (‘hurry up!’), 急忙 emphasizes the manner of action rather than just timing or command.